Enamel paint and method of producing a surface covering resembling a tiled surface



y 1960 J. BISKUP m-AL 2,935,417

ENAMEL PAINT AND METHOD OF PRODUCING A SURFACE COVERING RESEMBLING A TILED SURFACE Filed April 17, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

FIG. 3

INVENTORS. JOI'IN BISKUP PAUL O. WETI'ERAU OER JOHNSON TNEIR ATTORNEY May 3, 1960 J. BISKUP ETAL 2,935,417

ENAMEL PAINT AND METHOD OF PRODUCING A SURFACE COVERING RESEMBLING A TILED SURFACE Filed April 17, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q LL 2: f I l IO U lo 'INVENTORS. JOHN BISKUP PAUL QWETTERAU SP OER JOHNSON q T EIR ATTORNEY y 1960 J. BISKUP EI'AL 2,935,417

ENAMEL PAINT AND METHOD OF PRODUCING A SURFACE COVERING RESEMBLING A TILED SURFACE Fiied April 17, 1956 :s Shee ts-Sheet s FIG. 4

INVENTORS. JOHN BISKUP PAUL 6. VIETTERAU em ATTORNE I United States ENAMEL PAINT AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SUlXFXIE COVERING RESEMBLING A TILED John Biskup, Mountain Lakes, Spencer Johnson, fixatlram, and Paul C. Wetterau, Pomp'ton Plains, N.J., assignors to Congoleum-Nairn Inc., Kearny, N.J., a corporafion of New York 4 Application April 17, 1956, Serial No. 578,677

17 Claims. (Cl. 117-15) This invention relates to printed hard surface coverings such as are applied to floors, walls and the like. In particular, it relates to surface coverings which resemble a tiled surface with the areas simulating the tile mortar joints being depressed, methods for producing such coverings, and to paint formulations useful in such production.

The printing of a decorative wear layer upon a web of fibrous backing material to produce a product with acolorful and attractive design is well known in the art. The printing of the design elements is usually accomplished on what is known as a block printing machine;

that is, the sheet of backing material is intermittently advanced beneath a series of vertically movable printcould be done with a minimum of modification to the block printing machine. Attempts to accomplish this have met with little success in the past.

It has been found virtually impossible to satisfactorily print tile and mortar representing areas side by side using standard block printing techniques with conventionally used printing enamels. When this is attempted, there are always small portions of the backing material which are not covered with paint. In addition, when standard paint formulations are used for printing narrow lines, it has been found that the printed line has a small knot or bulge at the place where the paint film breaks away from the web when the printing block is raised. When an attempt is made to print lines on a web which is covered with a film of tile representing paint, the line not only has a tendency to have knots but also spreads on the wet paint film and may actually separate into sections over at least a portion of its length. Further, and perhaps most important, when using standard print paint formulations, the printed line has a tendency to lie above the surface of the tile representing areas. This is undesirable since the product should have line portions which lie depressed beneath the tile portions if resemblance to a tiled surface is to result. Various processes have been developed in the past to avoid these 'difliculties and to allow the production of printed goods simulating a tiled surface.

One prior art method involves covering the entire web of backing material with the color of the mortar joint, after which the tile portion is printed. Although :a product produced in this wayis. desirable from the standpoint of appearance in that the mortar joint representing areas are depressed beneath the tile representing atone 2,935,417 Patented May 3, 1960 areas, it is apparent that this process is expensive because of the large amount of the mortar joint paint which is covered by the tile paint. Further, production of such a product is time consuming since the mortar paint must be dry before the tile portions of the design are printed.

A product of similar appearance has also been produced by printing a plurality of paint layers followed by abrading the printed surface after it is dry. It is apparent that a process of this type also has serious disadvantages in that there are a number of separate steps involved and further since the abrading process may wear the surface of the mortar joint representing areas down to the backing material or until only a very thin layer of decorative material remains.

A third process for producing surface coverings resembling tile involves printing the mortar line areas first, then scraping the sheet with a transversely and longitudinally reciprocable doctor blade to level and spread out the mortar line paint, and finally printing the tile surface areas. Since this process involves the doctoring of the mortar line paint, there is a possibility that certain areas which will be exposed in the finished goods may be scraped clean of paint or may have such a thin coating that normal wear and tear of the surface after installation will soon expose the backing material. In addition, satisfactory doctoring of the sheet is complex when a product with a large number of lines is to be produced.

It is an object of the invention to produce a printed surface covering in a design comprising depressed narrow strip portions.

It is another object of the invention to produce a printed surface covering comprising a plurality of printed narrow strip portions which maintain a sharp delineation with and lie depressed beneath the remainder of the design.

It is a further object of the invention to produce a printed surface covering resembling a tiled surface wherein a standard block printing machine is utilized.

It is a further object of the invention to produce a printed product comprising tile portions and depressed narrow strip portions wherein a minimum amount of print paint is used but where the product has good wearing qualities.

It is a further object of the invention to produce a printed product comprising tile portions and depressed narrow strip portions which are curved to assume any desired decorative pattern.

Other objects and the advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

In accordance with the invention, a design simulating .a tiled surface with depressed narrow strip portions representing mortar lines is produced by coating a fibrous web of backing material with a paint film and allowing the paint to set. A plurality of narrow strip portions are then printed thereon with a paint comprising as a portion of its binder content a tempering agent obtained by adding to a liquid, heat-bodied drying oil a basic substance which is capable of reacting with the free acid portion of the heat-bodied oil.

The present invention will be described with reference to the drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a block printing machine showing its use in carrying out one embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view of a design printed on a fibrous web of backing material which has progressed along a portion Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of a design printed in accordance with the invention.

The block printing machine shown in Fig. 1 consists of a bed 11 which extends its entire length and width. At each of the opposite sides of the bed 11 is an endless belt 12 which is provided with pins 15 at spaced points throughout its length. The belt 12 passes around drums 13, 14 at either end of the machine which are intermittently rotated to advance a web of backing material 16 step by step along the machine by means of the pins 15 which pierce the web of backing material adjacent to the edges thereof.

A doctor blade 18 is provided at the front portion of the block printing machine. The edge of the doctor blade 18 is maintained in close relation to the face of the advancing web thus causing a very thin film of paint from a paint pool 19 adjacent thereto to be deposited on the web. The block printing machine is provided witha plurality of vertically reciprocable print blocks 20, 28, 33, 35 which are equipped with printing surfaces 22, 29, 34, 3-6 in the form of the design to be printed. Associated with each print block is a paint pot 24 provided with a roller 25 partially immersed therein and a pair of doctor blades for limiting the amount of paint picked up from the pot by the roller. When the print blocks are at their maximum height, the paint pot with the associated roller moves beneath the block whereby the paint on the roller is transferred to the printing surface of the block.

The operation of a block printing machine of the character described is conventional and is well established in the art. Consequently, the means for intermittently rotating the drums and for simultaneously horizontally reciprocating the paint pots beneath the print blocks and the means for vertically reciprocating the print blocks while the drums are at rest form no part of the present invention and are not shown in the drawings for the sake of simplicity.

When a marbleized effect in the tile portions of the design is desired, a block 26 with a plurality of spaced flexible wires 27 is provided. This block is preferably transversely reciprocated with respect to the web of backing material while the web is moving. The position of the block 26 and the length of the wires 27 are carefully controlled so that the wires just penetrate the paint film which has been deposited by the preceding print blocks. The transverse reciprocating motion of the wires 27 effects not only a desirable marbleizing action in the paint film but also acts to aid in leveling the paint film.

A drying unit 30 provided with heat elements such as infra red bulbs 31 or other types of radiant or convective heating units can be provided above the web for aiding in the stiffening of the paint printed on the web.

The first block 20 prints the fibrous web in areas 38 and 39 with a color of the tile portions of the design. The next block 28 prints areas 40 and 41 along one side of the web and also parallel thereto toward the center of the web. These areas 40, 41 are printed in a cotnrasting color and will appear as feature strip portions of the design. At the extreme end of the machine, a block 33 prints upon tile area 38 narrow strip portions 42 which are disposed in the direction of the web. A second block 35 then prints upon the tile areas 38, 39 narrow strip portions 43, 44, 45, 46 which are disposed across the web. The printed narrow strip portions delineate the tile areas 38, 39 into small tile areas 47, 48.

The narrow strip 43 comprises a dished exposed upper surface 49 which is in concave meniscate form. The strip extends through to the web 16, covering it in area 50 which is considerably smaller in width than the width of the narrow stripat the surface. The printed web, as it leaves the block printing machine, resembles a tiled surface having depressed narrow strips resembling mortar lines.

Although the block printing machine has been illustrated showing one block for printing the sheet in the tile color, one block for printing the feature strips, and

two blocks for printing the mortar line portions of the design, different numbers of blocks can be employed for printing various portions of the design as desired. In some instances, the design can consist entirely of tiles and mortar lines, in which case the feature strip printing blocks are unnecessary. The design can consist of any number of feature strips and the mortar lines can be in any arrangement as desired.

In the operation of the block printing machine, a web of backing material is delivered over one roll and is engaged by the pins which serve to advance the web along the machine. The web is contacted by the doctor blade which is positioned immediately forward of the paint pool, thus dampening the web with a small amount of paint. The motion of the web along the block printing machine is in a stepwise manner. When the web is at rest, the printing blocks are lowered and deposit a film of paint upon the web. The blocks are then raised and the web advances. Simultaneously, the paint pots move beneath the printing blocks depositing a film of paint on the printing surfaces thereof. The first printing block prints the web with the tile color. The web can be completely covered, or if the design is to have feature strip portions in contrasting colors, these areas can be left blank in the initial printing step. The paint film can be marbleized by the striating block which preferably moves in a transverse reciprocating or rotary motion with re spect to the web. This marbleizing is desirable since it aids in leveling the paint film. Heat can then be applied to the web to speed the setting of the tile paint. Feature strip portions are printed next in contrasting colors upon the web if desired. These feature strip portions refer to any areas in the design which are not in the tile or mortar line color. The design can have any number of feature strips in any desired range of colors. The mortar lines are printed upon the web at the last printing stations of the machine, thus producing a printed web simulating a tiled surface.

The web is preferably a mass of porous fibrous material which has been strengthened by impregnation and which has received one or more seal coats to render it a smooth, strong sheet not subject to any staining of the surface coat with the impregnating agent. It is preferable that a web of felted fibers be employed. The felt generally is produced using a Fourdrinier or cylinder paper machine with the thickness of the resulting sheet normally falling in the range from about .02 to about .08 inch. The fibrous material used is normally cellulosic in origin although other fibers can be used including fibers of mineral and animal origin. The sources of cellulosic material can include cotton or other rag material, wood pulp, including both ground wood and chemical wood pulp, paper, boxes, or mixtures thereof, in any proportion. The web can also contain fillers such as wood flour.

The felted fibers are normally strengthened by impregnation. Various bituminous materials are most commonly used due to their low cost. Normally, quantities ranging from to about by weight of the impregnant based on the bone dry weight of the felt are used although sometimes as little as 25% impregnant will provide a satisfactory product. Numerous bituminous materials are conventional and include asphalts of petroleum or natural origin and tars and pitch residues of vegetable and animal origin. These materials may be crude, blown or steam distilled. In addition, various natural and synthetic resinous materials can be used for impregnating felt. Suitable resinous impregnants include phenol-formaldehyde and phenol-urea resins, polymerized vinyl compounds, such as polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate and copolymers thereof, cellulose acetate, cellulose nitrate, and butadiene-styrene, bntadiene-acrylonitrile and natural rubber latices, and the like.

film at the start of the printing machine.

composition for this operation is not critical.

-i.e., not flowable, although it should not be dry. .necessary for the paint film to be sufiiciently stiff so that "nating felt is conventional and the composition of these coating materials is not critical. The vehicles for the seal coats can contain any of the drying oils and resins which after application dry to a hard, tough, solid, consistency. These drying oils are conventionally used in conjunction with inert fillers such as whiting, clay, wood, flour, limestone, and titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and other inorganic and organic pigments, and the like. While it is preferred that the felt be coated with two coats of a sealing material, any number of coats can be used.

The web is preferably moistened with a thin paint The paint Normally, a paint similar in composition to that used as a seal coat is used. This moistening of the web prior to print ing is desirable in effecting economy of print paint used.

The tile paint used is of a stiff thixotropic consistency.

The physical properties of the paint can be varied dependingon the speed of the printing machine, the amount of heat applied to the paint film, and the complexity of the design. It is essential that the paint used for the the portions of the design be of such consistency that when the web reaches the end of the machine immedi- "ately prior to the printing of the narrow strip or mortar line portions of the design it be set.- By set is meant that the paint is stiif and in a condition of complete rest, It is the line paint deposited thereon will not spread to any appreciable extent.

The paint used for the tile portions of the design is formulated from conventional pigments, extenders and fillers in conjunction with suitable binders and thinners.

Pigments are chosen according to the color desired and can include any of the organic and inorganic types well known in the paint art. Such well-known pigments as lead chromate, zinc chromate, lead molybdate, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, zinc sulfide, copper ferrocyanide, the ferric ferrocyanide complexes, toluidene red, copper phthalocyanine can be used. These pigments are conventionally blended'with extenders such as calcium sulfate, barium sulfate, lead sulfate and magnesium oxide. -Such fillers as chalk, whiting, and clay can be used as desired.

The binder portion of the tile paint vehicle normally nets of phthalic, isophthalic, ter ephthalic, sebacic, adipic,

' succinic, oxalic,'fumaric, citric, glutaric, diglycollic, maleic, comphoric, dilactic, pimelic, suberic, azelaic acids, and the like with polyhydric alcohols such as sorbitol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, pentaerythritol, glycerlol, butylene glycol, trimethylene glycol, diethylene glyool, triethylene glycol, and the like; phenolic resins,

including the reaction products of phenols, such as phexnol, o-, p-, and m-cresol, the xylenols, pyrogallol, resorcinol, the naphthols, and the like. with aldehydes, such as acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, acrolein, isobutyr- .aldehyde, furfural, paraldehyde, andthe like; coumarone- ,indene resins; urea-formaldehyde resins, such as obtained reacting amides, including urea, thiourea, ethylidene- "ureaf'naphthalene monosulphonaifiide, and the like with aldehydes such as listed under the phenolic resins above; melamine resins; vinyl resins, such as polymers and copolymers of vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, vinyl acetate, vinyl butyrate, and the like; polymers and copolymers of acrylic and substituted acrylic acids; and the like.

Suitable solvents or thinners are normally present in the printing enamel, such as turpentine, naphtha, kerosene, benzene, toluene, mineral spirits and the like or mixtures of these materials. When a standard block printing machine is used to print a design simulatinga tiled surface, a paint of as low a solvent content as can be successfully printed is used. .This will normally mean that the solvent content will be less than 25% by weight of the paint and preferably from between 5% to 15%. A low solvent content substantially reduces the time necessary for the paint to set.

A paint of low solvent content as described above is i of a stiff consistency. When a design simulating a tiled surface is printed with a block printing machine, it is preferred that the tile paint be of such a consistency that when the quantity'of paint filling a ring 0.75 inch, inside diameter, by 0.5 inch deep is released upon a smooth plate maintained at an angle of 30 with the horizontal, the leading edge thereof travels 3.5 inches or less in one minute. Preferably, this distance of travel is from 1.5 to

3 inches, and is referred to as the flow of the paint.

This is contrasted with the flow of conventional printing enamels which may range up to 8 inches or higher.

Feature strip portions in contrasting colors with the tlle color can be printed upon the web using. conventional printing enamels, if no lines are to be printed across portions thereof, or by using paints which will set before the lines are printed as described above. If the feature strips are to be divided with line portions in the final product, it is preferable that the paint film on the web be marblized after the feature strip portions are printed.

basic substance which is capable of neutralizing the free acid content of the heat-bodied oil.

Any oil or mixture of oils with drying properties, that is, drying and semidrying oils, can be used in the production of the tempering agent. This includes tung oil, perilla 'oil, soy bean oil, linseed oil, whale oil, oiticica oil, hempseed oil, walnut oil, safflower oil, dehydrated castor oil, herring oil, poppyseed oil, menhaden oil, sardine oil, and the like, and also includes chemically treated oils, such as tall oil esterified with a poyhydric alcohol such as glycerol, sorbitol, pentaerythritol, ethylene glycol, and the like.

The preliminary bodying treatment of the oil for the tempering agent is preferably carried out at a temperature "of about 400 F. to about 600 F although this tempera- "ture of heat treatment is not critical as long as it is stopped before the bodied oil gels. The time of treatment varies according to the particular oil being bodied and the temperature of treatment and can range from a minute or less, in the case of a fast polymerizing oil such as tung oil under high temperature conditions, to a few days when slower polymerizing oils such as linseed oil are bodied at lower temperatures.

.quantity of a basic substance which is capable of reacting At the termination of the heating of the oil, a small with the'free acid content of the bodied oil is added. The

'.mixture is agitated vigorously andthen cooled. In order to render the tempering agent more fluid and easier to handle in subsequent processing, it is preferably diluted 7 with a solvent such as mineral spirits, kerosene or the like. Alternately, at the conclusion of the heat-bodying treatment, the oil can be cooled, diluted with solvent and then reheated with agitation in the presence of the basic substance. In the bodying of the drying oil with heat, the acid number increases as the viscosity of the oil increases due to the breaking of some of the ester linkages in the oil. Substantial neutralization of this free acidity by the basic substance is necessary for production of the tempering agent of the invention.

Any basic substance which is capable of neutralizing the free acid content of the heat-bodied drying oil can be used, including inorganic bases, such as ammonia and metal oxides and hydroxides, and organic bases, such as amines and pyridines. Typical inorganic bases are ammonia, the oxides and hydroxides of such metal as beryllium, calcium, lithium, magnesium, potassium, aluminum, iron, sodium, zinc, strontium, nickel, lead, tin and the like. Suitable organic bases are primary, secondary and tertiary amines of the formula R R R NH- NH, R N

by the partial neutralization of a polyvalent metal hydroxide or oxide with less than a stoichiometric amount of an acid.

7 Although all basic substances capable of reacting with the free acid content of a heat-bodied drying oil, including those listed above, can be used to produce the tempering agent of the invention, basic substances having at least two acid reacting groups per molecule are preferred.

Hydroxides and oxides of metals with a valence of two or higher are thus preferred. In the case of organic bases, the polyamines, such as the diamines, are preferred. When a basic substance of the preferred type is used, desirable cross-linking of the free acid portions of the heatbodied drying oil molecule is believed to occur.

It is preferred that the quantity of basic substance added to the heat-bodied oil be in excess of the stoichiometric amount required to neutralize the acid content of the bodied oil. Consequently, the quantity required varies according to the free acid content of the bodied oil and the basicity of the substance added. The basic substance is usually added in an amount equal to from 1% to 20% based on the weight of the bodied oil, with to 15% being the most common.

Varying amounts of the tempering agentcan be used in the mortar line paint. It has been found that the degree of depression of the line can be controlled by varying the amount; the larger the amount, the greater is the depress'ion of the line. It is normally preferred that from about /z% to about 40% by weight of the binder in the finish paint be supplied by the tempering agent. When more than 40% is used, no further depression of the line is evident. A particularly effective amount is from about 5% to about 10%.

In the formulation of a mortar line paint comprising the tempering agent described above, it is preferred that the consistency of the paint be thinner than that of the tile paint. When a block printing machine is used for printing a design simulating a tiled surface, the

mortar line paint is preferably diluted with thinner to a flow of from 2.5 to 5 inches. A flow of from 3 to 4 inches is particularly effective. Flow as used here means the distance that the leading edge of a quantity of paint filling a ring 0.75 inch, inside diameter, by 0.5 inch deep travels in one minute when it is released upon a smooth plate maintained at an angle of 30 with the horizontal.

Example 1 A tempering agent suitable for use in the invention is produced by heating grams of tung oil rapidly to 535 F. and maintaining at this temperature with agitation for 10 minutes. The temperature is reduced rapidly to 150 F. and 250 grams of kerosene is added. The mixture is reheated to 250 F. and 8 grams of ferric hydroxide is added. The mixture is agitated vigorously for 3 hours, after which it is cooled to 100 F.

Example 2 Seventy-five grams of linseed oil is heated to 480 F. and held at this temperature with agitation for 65 hours. Four grams of lime (calcium oxide) is added and the temperature is reduced to 300 F. The mixture is agitated at 300 F. for 1 hour. At the end of this time, the mixture is cooled to F. and added to 200 grams of mineral spirits with agitation. The resulting solution is suitable for use as a tempering agent in the invention.

Example 3 A tempering agent is produced by heating 100 grams of linseed oil to 570 F. and maintaining at that temperature for 5 hours. The bodied oil is cooled to 125 F. and diluted with grams of mineral spirits. This solution is reheated to 235 F. in the presence of 7.5 grams of lime. This mixture is agitated at this temperature for 2.5 hours and then cooled to room temperature.

Example 4 A tempering agent is produced by heating 100 grams of oiticica oil to 540 F. and maintaining at this temperature with agitation for 15 minutes. The bodied oil is cooled rapidly to 125 F. and diluted with 150 grams of mineral spirits. The solution is heated to 225 F. in the presence of 8 grams of ethylene diamine. This temperature is maintained with agitation for 2 hours, after which the mixture is cooled to room temperature.

Example 5 A web of asphalt saturated felted cellulosic fibers which has been double seal coated with oleoresinous seal coats is printed on a standard block printing machine with twenty-four printing stations in a des1gn simulating a tiled surface. The web is covered with a paint film in the color of the tile portions of the design at the initial printing stations of the machine using a paint formulated as follows: 1000 pounds of pigments comprising zinc oxide, titanium calcium sulphate and calcium sulphate as an extender are ground with 423 pounds of vehicle in a standard three-roll paint mixer. The vehicle is composed of 50% by weight of linseed and soy bean oils, 27% phenolic and alkyd resins, 14% naphtha and 1% lead, cobalt and manganese driers and a conventional anti-skinning agent. The thick pasty material is diluted with additional vehicle formulated as describedabove to a flow of 2 inches. The tile paint film which is deposited on the web is marbleized by being contacted with wires which are attached to a block which moves horizontally in a rotary motion with respect to the web.

A mortar line paint is formulated as follows: 1000 pounds of pigments and extenders are mixed with 423 pounds of a vehicle similar to that used for mixing the tile representing paint. To 100 pounds of this thick pasty material is added 12 pounds of vehicle consisting of 53% by weight of the vehicle used for mixing the pigments and 47% by weight of the tempering agent of average web speed of 18 feet per minute is used. The

printed web resembles atiled surface with narrow mortar line portions depressed beneath the tile portions.

Example 6 In a laboratory simulation of a block printing operation, a stationary web of backing material is covered to that described in Example 5. The printed lines, under these conditions, have a tendency to widen and spread. The printlng is repeated as described above with the exception that, for 30 seconds of the 50-second period between the printing of the tile representing areas and the line portions, air with a temperature of between 125 F. and 150 F. is blown over the sheet. Under these conditions, the printed lines are narrow and show no I tendency to spread.

Although this invention has been described with reference to a standard block printing machine, it is obvious jthat it is adaptable to other printing processes, such as a rotary printing process.

Any departure from the above description which conforms to the present invention is intended to be included within the scope of the claims. 7

What is claimed is:

1. An enamel paint formulation for use in printing narrow strips which assume a depressed appearance on a set oleoresinous paint film which comprises 'a mixture of an oleoresinous binder and anoil with drying p'roperties which has been heat bodied to a high viscosity, said high viscosity being less than that at which gelation of the oil occurs, and then treated with an amount of basic substance in excess of the stoichiometric amount required to neutralize the free acid portions of the heatbodied oil, the paint formulation being of such consistency that when a quantity thereof filling a ring 0.75

inch inside diameter by 0.5 inch deep is released upon a a smooth surface maintained at an angle of 30 with the "horizontal, the leading edge of said quantity travels from 2.5 to inches in about one minute. I

2. An enamel paint formulation for use in printing narrow strips which assume a depressed appearance on a set oleoresinous paint film which comprises a mixture of an oleoresinous binder and an oil with drying properties which has been heat bodied to a high viscosity, said high viscosity being less than that at which gelation of the oil occurs, and then treated with an amount of basic substance in excess of the stoichiometric amount required to neutralize the free acid portions of the heatbodied oil, the paint formulation being of such consistency that when a quantity thereof filling a ring 0.75 inch inside diameter by 0.5 inch deep is released upon a smooth surface maintained at an angle of 30 'with the horizontal, the leading edge of said quantity travels from 3 to 4 inches in about one minute.

3. An enamel paint formulation which comprises a mixture of an oleoresinous binder and 5 to by weight of the binder of an oil with drying properties which has been heat bodied to a high viscosity, said high viscosity being less than that at which gelation of the oil occurs, and then treated with an amount of basic substances in excess of the stoichiometric amount required to neutralize the free acid portions of the heat-bodied oil, the basic substance having a minimum of two acid reacting groups per molecule capable of reacting with the free acid portions of the heat-bodied oil, the paint formulation being of such consistency that when a quantity thereof filling a ring 0.75 inch inside diameter by 0.5 inch deep is released upon a smooth surface maintained at an angle of with the horizontal, the leading edge of The mortar lines are printed upon of thixotropic oleoresinous paint in the color of the tile, allowing thepaint to set to a non-fiowable condition without drying and printing on with an enamel comprising a. mixture of oleoresinous the set paint the narrow strips binder, pigment and an oil with drying properties which has been heat bodied to a high viscosity and then treated with a basic substance capable of reacting with the free acid portions of the heat-bodied oil, said high viscosity being less than that at which gelationof the oil occurs.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the basic substance is added to said heat-bodied oil in an amount in excess of the stoichiometric amount required to neutralize the free acid portions of the heat-bodied oil.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the basic substance has a minimum of two acid reacting groups per molecule which are capable of reacting with the free acid portions of the heat-bodied oil.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the enamel is of such consistency that when a quantity thereof filling a ring 0.75 inch inside diameter by 0.5 inch deep is released upon a smooth surface maintained at an angle of I 30 with the horizontal, the leading edge of said quantity j 9. The method of claim 7 wherein the oil is present in .from about 5 to 10% by'weight of the binder.

35 sembling atiled surface having tiles and depressed tiar- 10. A method for producing a surface covering .re-

row strips therebetween representing mortar v lines which comprises coating a fibrous web on one side with .a film :of thixotropic oleoresinous paint in the color of the tile, allowing the paint to set to a non-flowable'condition without drying and printing on the set paint the narrow strips with an enamel com-prising a mixture of oleoresinous binder and /2 to 40% by weight of the binder ,of an oil with drying properties which has been heat bodied to 'a high viscosity andthen treated with a basic substance in an amount in excess of the stoichiometric amount required to neutralize the free acid portions of the heat bodied oil, the basic substance having a minimum of two acid reactinggroups per molecule capable of reacting with said free acid portions, the high viscosity being less than that at which gelation of the oil occurs, and the enamel being of such consistency that when a quantity thereof filling a ring 0.75 inch inside diameter by 0.5 inch deep is released upon a smooth surface maintained at an angle of 30 with the horizontal, the leading edge of said quantity travels from 3 to 4 inches in about one minute.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the paint in the color of the tile contains volatile thinners in an amount less than 25% by weight.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the paint in the color of the tile contains volatile thinners in an amount of from about 5 to 15% by weight.

13. A method for producing a surface covering resembling a tiled surface having tiles and depressed narrow strips therebetween representing mortar lines which comprises coating a fibrous web of material on one side with a film of thixotropic oleoresinous paint in the color of the tile, said paint being of such consistency that when a quantity thereof filling a ring 0.75 inch inside diameter by 0.5 inch deep is released upon a smooth surface maintained at an angle of 30 with the horizontal, the leading edge of such quantity travels less than 3.5 inches in about one minute, allowing the paint to set to a non-flowable condition without drying, and printing on the set paint the narrow strips with an enamel comprising antixture of oleoresinous binder and /2. to 40% by 'weight of the binder of an oil with drying properties having a minimum of two acid reacting groups per molecule capable of reacting with the free acid portion of the heat-bodied oil, the high viscosity being less than that at which 'gela'tion of the oil occurs and the enamel being of such consistency that when a quantity thereof filling a ring 0.75 inch inside diameter by 0.5 inch deep is released upon a smooth surface maintained at an angle of 30 with the horizontal, the leading edge of said quantity travels from 2.5 to 5.0 inches in about one minute.

14. A method for producing a surface covering resembling a tiled surface having tiles and depressed narrow strips therebetween representing mortar lines which comprises coating a fibrous web of material on one side with a film of thixotropic oleoresinous paint in the color of the tile, said paint being of such consistency that when a quantity thereof filling a ring 0.75 inch inside diameter by 0.5 inch deep is released upon a smooth surface maintained at an angle of 30 with the horizontal, the leading edge of such quantity travels from 1.5 to 3 inches in about one minute, allowing the paint to set to a nonfiowable condition without drying, and printing on the set paint the narrow strips with an enamel paint comprising a mixture of oleoresinous binder and about 5 to by Weight of the binder of an oil with drying properties which has been heat bodied to a high viscosity and then treated with an amount of basic substance in excess of the stoichiometric amount required to neutralize the free acid portion of the heat bodied oil, the basic substance having a minimum of two acid reacting groups per molecule capable of reacting with the free acid portions of the heat bodied oil, the high viscosity being less than that at which gelation of the oil occurs and the enamel being of such consistency that when a quantity thereof filling a ring 0.75 inch inside diameter by 0.5 inch deep is released upon a smooth surface maintained at'an angle of 30 with the horizontal, the leading edge of said quantity travels from 3 to 4 inches in about one minute.

15. A method for-producing a surface covering resembling a tiled surface having tiles and depressed narrow strips therebetween representing mortar lines which comprises coating a fibrous web of material on one side with a film of thixotropic oleoresinous paint in the color of the assay tile, said paint being of such consistency that when a quantity thereof filling a ring 0.75 inch inside diameter heat bodied to a high viscosity and then treated with an amount of calcium oxide in excess of the stoichiometric amount required to neutralize the free acid portion of the heat-bodied oil, the high viscosity being less than that at which gelation of the oil occurs and the enamel being of such consistency that when a quantity thereof filling a ring 0.75 inch inside diameter by 0.5 inch deep is released upon a smooth surface maintained at an angle of 30 with the horizontal, the leading edge of said quantity travels from 3 to 4 inches in about one minute.

16. A printed surface covering resembling a tiled surface having tiles and depressed narrow strips therebetween representing mortar lines comprising a fibrous web coated on one side with an enamel paint to resemble tile and having an overlay paint resembling mortar lines wherein said mortar lines are in part depressed below the surface of the tile paint.

17. A printed surface covering resembling a tiled surface having tiles and depressed narrow strips therebetween representing mortar lines comprising a fibrous web coated on one side with an enamel paint to resemble tile and having an overlay paint resembling mortar lines wherein the exposed surface of the mortar line paint has a concave meniscate fo References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,510,654 Cavanaugh Oct. 7, 1924 1,921,456 De Laney Aug. 8, 1933 1,984,306 Hoelkeskamp Dec. 11, 1934 2,011,182 Nutting Aug. 13, 1935 2,037,189 Abernathy Apr. 14, 1936 2,042,017 Orchard May 26, 1936 2,121,013 Brown June 21, 1938 2,467,229 Pnitzker Apr. 12, 1949 L2,538,378 Overton Jan. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE & CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2335 417 May 3 1960 John Biskup et a1.

It is hereb$ certified that error appears in the-printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

pl u r nn 10 line 24 claim 7 for the claim reference numeral "6" re'aII"'-"-- 5 Signed and sealed this 1st day of November 1960.

(SEAL) Attest:

A AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON P Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

4. A METHOD FOR PRODUCING A SURFACE COVERING RESEMBLING A TILED SURFACE HAVING TILES AND DEPRESSED NARROW STRIPS THEREBETWEEN REPRESENTING MORTAR LINES WHICH COMPRISES COATING A FIBROUS WEB OF MATERIAL WITH A FILM OF THIXOTROPIC OLEORESINUOUS PAINT IN THE COLOR OF THE TILE, ALLOWING THE PAINT TO SET TO A NON-FLOWABLE CONDITION WITHOUT DRYING AND PRINTING ON THE SET PAINT THE NARROW STRIPS WITH AN ENAMEL COMPRISING A MIXTURE OF OLEORESINOUS BINDER, PIGMENT AND AN OIL WITH DRYING PROPERTIES WHICH HAS BEEN HEAT BODIED TO A HIGH VISCOSITY AND THEN TREATED WITH A BASIC SUBSTANCE CAPABLE OF REACTING WITH THE FREE ACID PORTIONS OF THE HEAT-BODIED OIL, SAID HIGH VISCOSITY BEING LESS THAN THAT AT WHICH GELATION OF THE OIL OCCURS. 